For Keeps
by Maplestyle
Summary: When a desperate Edward and Bella come up with a fake wedding scheme will all go as planned or will they find themselves playing for keeps? My piece for the LLS Compilation split up into parts.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, but I love playing with them**

**Thanks: I'd like to give special thanks to my beta AlicesWhiteRabbit and also to The Triangle of Curls girls who supported me through this journey. A special thanks to those of you who have donated to this special cause.**

**Love and prayers go out to those suffering from this disease. To those I've personally lost to this disease, I miss you and love you all.**

**EPOV**

The feel of the fist nearly impaling my stomach makes me want to curl in on myself, a nearly impossible feat with my arms being held behind my back. The gust of air is released from my lungs in a whoosh, and I feel lightheaded for a minute. I shake it off; I won't give these guys the satisfaction.

"Not so tough are you now, Masen?" The huge goon in front of me laughs.

I struggle against the two holding my arms. "Tell these fuckers to let me go, and we'll see who the tougher of the two of us is."

They all laugh as Paul pulls his fist back to hit me again. I can hear his approach before the fist can connect.

"That's enough, Paul," he says calmly, snapping his fingers at Quil and Embry. I fall to the ground, narrowly avoiding smashing my face. Rosalie would be pissed if I showed up tomorrow with my face bruised.

"You've been avoiding me, Edward," Jake says with a sigh. "I'd hoped it wouldn't have to come to this."

"I'm working on it. Can't you cut me a break?" I ask.

He scratches his head lightly, as if considering something for a moment. "I really liked you, Masen. You swore you could double my money, and I believed in you. I'm disappointed. But here's what we're going to do. You have three months to come up with my original investment of five thousand dollars, and we'll call it square."

I inhale sharply. Three months isn't that much time, especially for that much money, but I'm in no position to argue with him. I pull myself up off the ground. "Deal," I say, reaching out my hand to shake his. "But if any of your goons come near me again, on your orders or not, the deal is off."

He shakes my hand. As I walk by Paul, I flinch in his direction, and he cowers back. I chuckle darkly. "Just what I thought, you're a fucking pussy if your prey isn't being held down."

I continue walking down the alley and out to the street. I rub my hands together and try to think where I can get my hands on that kind of cash. It's not really my fault the purchase of the shop fell through, banking issues; it's why I had to go to Jake in the first place. God knows you didn't want to deal with The Pack on a normal day. I considered—but only briefly—going to my dad. The thought of him telling me, for the millionth time, that if I tried this—taking over this shop instead of following in his footsteps and going to med school—it meant I was on my own. I just didn't need to hear that right now. Guess I'll have to come up with something else.

**BPOV**

It was a mistake to try and move by myself. I was exhausted. The thought of anyone helping me though, and seeing how bare my house was, was mortifying. Keeping up with the Joneses was sure hard on a girl. I should have stayed in my fully furnished apartment instead of buying this house when I had nothing to put in it, but remembering the conversation I had with my mother last month was a stiff reminder that things had to change in my life.

"_Isabella," she'd huffed, "why are you still in this shitty little apartment when all of your friends live in beautiful houses?"_

I didn't have the guts to tell her that I was sinking already. She'd only remind me that she'd wanted better for me than my chosen career and that I'd wasted my time on my art. Art was my passion; I wanted to do a job that I loved. Yes, sometimes it didn't pay the bills, and I had to eat ramen noodles more times than I could count, but I'd sold some stuff and had another gallery showing coming up after the wedding. Hopefully, I'd sell enough pieces to get some furniture, and plates, and a blender. Hell, you get the picture.

If it made my mother happy to tell her friends that I'd just purchased a lavish townhouse and show them pictures of how beautiful it was and how successful I surely am at what I do, then who am I to argue. I'd disappointed her enough in my life.

I brought the last box in from the bed of my run-down truck—the next to go on my mother's list—and set it down in the middle of the empty room. The shear size of it was overwhelming to me, and I could feel the lump growing in my throat. I refused to cry. I would have to come up with some way to furnish it quickly. I could only hold my mother off for so long before she wanted to tour the place.

I needed a stiff drink, a bath, and then bed. I suddenly realized I had no bed to sleep in, no glass to drink out of, and no bath supplies. I sunk to the bare floor and cried.

**EPOV**

Weddings blow. It's not that I'm against the institution of marriage, but why can't they be shorter, with less posing for pictures, and less bloody fucking speeches. Right now, Rosalie's fifth cousin once removed is enlightening us as to how often Rosalie picked her nose when they were five. Jesus Christ, she's been going on for a solid ten minutes, and she's only bridesmaid number seven. Who the hell needs seven bridesmaids? Especially when you consider that she had not one but two maids of honor. That's nine fucking speeches I'm going to have to sit through for the bride's side alone. Not including the seven groomsmen, the two best men (of which I am one) and the fucking parents. If the waiter doesn't come around soon to refill my drink, I might seriously consider offing myself. Wouldn't it have been easier to just have a select few people give a speech and that's it? Do we really need to know that Rosalie stuffed her bra in the fifth grade before finally growing the ample breasts she has today? I surreptitiously check out her tits; she's got a nice set now. Jasper sees me checking out his sister and elbows me in the ribs. I grunt in pain. They're still sore from the beating they took yesterday.

"If Emmett catches you checking out his new wife's tits, I don't think you'll make it to the dance part of the program, my friend," he whispers with a chuckle. "He'll kill you."

"Not my fault the cousin made that comment; she has a nice rack." I shrug my shoulders in response. "Speaking of nice racks, who's the hottie sitting beside Alice?"

"That's Bella," he answers. "Rosalie's former stepsister. They remained friends after their parents split, and she just moved into a new house in the area. She came here about a year ago from New York."

I take another glance at the brunette goddess and wonder why I've never met her before. She's small in stature but taller then Alice, which honestly isn't hard as the girl is a midget. She's got dark hair that I can only imagine is long since Rosalie insisted that all the girls have their hair up and curled the same way. I watched her walking down the aisle earlier, and the way the dress clung to her curves made my pants tight. She had a rocking bod and killer tits, and I wondered if she'd want to hookup with me later, take me back to her place.

Bridesmaid number seven was finally at the end of her speech, and the nearly five hundred guests applauded politely. The master of ceremonies took over to announce the next speaker, and I looked frantically for the waiter. He was still nowhere in sight. I sighed; somebody just shoot me now.

**BPOV**

By the time the speeches were over, I had moved past slightly tipsy to straight up buzzed. I was glad when they finally served dinner, or I would have been tanked by the time the dance floor opened up. Why they couldn't have served dinner during the speeches was beyond me. Emmett held Rosalie firmly in his large arms as they swayed back and forth, and I couldn't suppress the sigh. They looked so happy, so in love. Jasper was whispering in Alice's ear, no doubt reminding her that they were next, and my eyes welled. Why couldn't I have that? I wanted a love like that. Something all consuming. I wanted someone beside me to support me, someone I could support. I wanted a partner, an equal. I was only 23, but I could feel the cat lady moniker already looming in my future. I couldn't even support myself properly let alone somebody else.

"Looks like we're up next," someone whispered in my ear, causing me to jump.

"Ex-excuse me?" I asked, turning in my seat to see Emmett's other best man behind me.

"Dancing," he replied, pointing with his beer toward the dance floor. "It looks like we're up next. What did you think I meant?"

I blushed furiously for letting my mind wander in the direction it had. "I wasn't sure," I mumbled.

He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but notice how hot he was; a feeling of lust surged somewhere deep inside of me. My thighs involuntarily clenched. Good Lord, he was hot. I needed a fan.

"Isn't it tradition for the wedding party to dance?" he questioned, loosening his tie. "Surely Jasper will want to dance with Alice, so I figured you were mine."

It was really pathetic that my heart skipped a beat when he said I was his. God, I'm such a loser. He held his hand out toward me and said, "Shall we?"

Taking his hand, I let him lead me to the edge of the dance floor.

"I have to warn you now, I'm a really bad dancer," I told him. "I'm sorry for any harm I may cause."

"It's all in the leading," he said, grinning cheekily at me.

We stood side by side waiting for the DJ to announce the wedding party dance. I kept glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. I didn't know much about Edward Masen, just that he'd been Rosalie's friend since her father divorced my mother and married Edward's Aunt Esme. They would always hang out together at family functions, and it was through Edward that Rosalie had met Emmett. They had hit it off pretty much right away and had been together ever since. It was through Emmett that my former stepbrother Jasper had met Alice and through Skype that I was able to keep in touch with them all. Edward was a mystery though. He really seemed to keep to himself, and I wanted to know more about this mystery man. I had lived in Seattle now for a year but had yet to meet him. I found myself hoping that we'd be able to get to know each other better.

Edward loosened his tie further and undid the top button on his dress shirt. I noticed that he had a tattoo of a noose around his neck. That was weird; interesting, but weird. I wondered what it represented.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

An hour later, Bella and I were both tanked and getting down and dirty on the dance floor. For someone who claimed to not know how to dance, she was driving me fucking crazy rubbing her ass all over my dick. I leaned in closer to her neck, inhaling her scent, and placing open-mouthed, sucking kisses along her exposed skin. She moaned and ground further into me, causing my eyes to practically roll back into my skull.

I kissed a trail up her neck, behind her ear, and then quickly spun her to face me, partly so I could see her face, partly to remove the pressure on my cock before I came in my pants like a twelve-year-old looking at a nudie mag for the first time.

"I say we take this party elsewhere, Bell," I whispered in her ear, tugging her a little closer and rubbing my cock against her stomach.

Her eyes fluttered closed with the contact, and she moaned before hiccupping and replying with a breathy, "Yes."

She was moving her body in the most sinful way; I had to bite my lip to keep from groaning out loud. Fuck, this chick had killer moves. I had to put some space in between us before I embarrassed myself. I grabbed her hand and hauled her off the dance floor, walking quickly over to the head table to grab her purse.

Jasper and Alice were sitting in a chair; well he was sitting in a chair with Alice perched on his lap whispering in his ear. No doubt, they wouldn't last long either. I put my hand on his shoulder and nodded toward Bella to let him know I was leaving with her. He raised one eyebrow but didn't say anything.

I walked over to Bella and grabbed her around the waist causing her to squeal. Fucking adorable. She beamed at me over her shoulder.

"Let's go to your place beautiful. Is it close?" I asked her.

"We can't," she said with a little pout. "I don't have a bed."

"You don't have a bed?" I asked loudly, causing Jasper and Alice to look in our direction with matching frowns on their faces. Bella hushed me, but I couldn't discern the look on her face and cocked my head to the side trying to figure it out.

"At the hotel silly," she said, giving me a pointed look. "I don't have a bed here, and here's closer."

She seemed to watch Jasper and Alice go back to their whispered conversation and breathed a sigh of … relief? That was weird. I shook off those thoughts, grabbed two bottles of champagne off the table for the road, and grabbed Bella's hand with the other to lead her out of the room.

**BPOV**

I wanted to crawl under the table and die when Edward blurted out about me not having a bed in front of Alice and Jasper but managed to say something that convinced them to not pay attention. Now Edward was dragging me through the hotel toward the elevator. I could only hope that meant good things were in store for me. I wanted him so bad. The minute he had me in the elevator, he crushed me up against the wall and kissed me. God, could this man kiss; his kiss was firm and yet somehow soft at the same time. He licked my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth to give him better access. I groaned as I tasted him for the first time. He tasted like beer, with a hint of mint, and some other underlying flavor I couldn't decipher.

The elevator door dinged, and he practically dragged me down the hall. These shoes were seriously going to kill me; so I stopped suddenly, causing him to topple backwards. That sent me into a fit of giggles.

"What are you doing?" he asked me, chuckling himself.

"I have to take off my shoes," I grunted, trying to remove the death traps. "I can't walk in them."

I squealed as he picked me up bridal style and carried me down the hallway. I have no idea how he managed to do that while holding those two bottles of champagne, but who was I to question it? He set me down on the floor just outside his hotel room door, getting his key from his pocket. The door clicked open, and he ushered me inside. Once the door clicked shut, he had me up against it, kissing me senseless again. When we couldn't breathe, he pulled away and, taking my hand, led me over to the sofa.

He popped the cork on one of the bottles of champagne and grimaced before saying, "Sorry, I don't have any cups. We can drink out of the bottle though." I took the bottle from his hand and took a long swig then passed it back. I hiccupped and knew I should probably stop drinking soon as I was already so drunk. I was going to regret this in the morning.

Before I knew it, we had finished one bottle, and Edward was opening the second. I tried to tell him that I shouldn't drink anymore, but he was very persuasive. I knew I'd have to be careful about him since it seemed he had the ability to talk me into anything. He passed me the bottle back after taking a swig and started kissing my neck as I tilted my head back to take a drink. His whispers in my ear made me shiver with want.

"I want to try something. Will you let me?"

I nodded my consent. He gripped the bottle over my hand, sending sparks of current up my arm; he slowly brought the bottle to his lips. I could only focus on his mouth. I whimpered out a moan at the sight of his tongue wetting his lips before tipping the bottle back and pouring the liquid into his mouth. He brought the bottle down slowly and placed it on the table in front of us. He turned on the couch slightly and gripped my waist, tugging me over and placing me on his lap. He cupped my face in his large hand and ever so slowly brought his lips toward mine. Tilting my head back, he opened my mouth slightly with his thumb and then slowly poured the champagne from his mouth into mine before closing his lips over mine in a searing kiss.

It was after this point I remember nothing but waking up the next morning naked and in Edward Masen's bed.

**EPOV**

My head was pounding, and my mouth tasted like ass. God, how much had I had to drink last night? I remembered the beers, then the shots at the bar with Emmett and Jasper, two bottles of champagne with Bella. Bella! I shot up in bed, groaning as the motion churned my stomach, and saw that she was still asleep. She was sound asleep and gloriously, gloriously naked. Thoughts of last night swirled in my brain.

Me, pouring the champagne into her mouth using mine. Her, climbing on my lap—her dress rising to her hips—grinding against me. Me, grabbing her hips to still her movements so I didn't bust a nut. Her, removing her dress, her bra, and her panties. Me, removing all but my boxers, kissing her, and suckling her breasts, moving my hand slowly down to the Promised Land. Her, moaning and writhing above me. Me, opening my big, fat mouth and asking her what she meant about not having a bed. Her, breaking down and sobbing in my arms, telling me about being in way over her head, owning a house she could barely afford and couldn't afford to furnish. Me, holding her while she cried herself to sleep then carrying her to the bed to sleep it off.

I got up as gently as I could, went to the bar fridge, and grabbed two bottles of water. I downed one with some Tylenol and put the other on the bedside table so Bella could reach it when she woke up. I kissed her forehead before grabbing some clean clothes and heading to take a shower. I had to take care of the problem in my boxers that had arisen due to her nakedness.

**BPOV**

I shivered; I couldn't understand why I was so cold all of a sudden. I rolled over in the bed. The bed? I didn't own a bed. Where was I? Why was I so cold? I looked down at myself, and I was naked? Why was I naked? I wracked my brain trying to think of what happened after the wedding. I remember dancing with Edward. I remember grinding all over him on the dance floor. I remember going to tell Jasper and Alice we were leaving, coming upstairs, him giving me champagne right from his mouth, and then nothing. I was drawing a complete blank after that. God, I hope I didn't do or say anything to embarrass myself.

I could hear the shower running in the bathroom and figured since we'd already had sex it wouldn't be too bad to see him naked again. At least this time, I'd remember it. So I got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. I opened the door; the shower door was clear. He had his tattooed back to the door, standing under the spray, head down, one hand on the wall, the other hand on his—

"Oh, my GOD!" I screamed. "Are you … are you masturbating in the shower?" I shrieked, covering my eyes.

Edward jumped, obviously startled, and slipped on the wet shower floor, falling down in a heap.

"I'm sorry," I cried. "Are you okay? Did you hurt anything?"

"I think I broke my ass," he replied. "What the hell, Bella?"

"I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't think you'd be in the shower masturbating. Didn't you get your fill last night?" I peeked through my fingers.

He gave me a look of pure frustration. "We didn't do anything last night," he said.

"We didn't?"

"No, we were making out. I asked about why you didn't have a bed, and you broke down."

"Oh, God," I wailed. "What did I tell you?"

"Everything, Bella. You told me everything. Listen, I have an idea that could maybe help us both out. Why don't you go call room service, I'll finish up in here, and then we can talk, okay?"

I couldn't help but laugh when he said he'd finish, and he glared at me. "Not finish that, Bella. Obviously, you managed to kill any erection I may have had when you made me fall."

I laughed again as I turned and walked out of the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

I couldn't believe she caught me masturbating in the shower. I'd like to be able to say I was embarrassed, but I wasn't. I hope she got a good eyeful of what she'd missed last night. Yeah, I was just a little bitter. I dried myself off, got dressed, and went in search of Bella and food. I'd had some time to think about both our problems last night after she'd passed out, and I wanted to run my idea by her. Hopefully, she'd go for it and bail us both out of a jam. It was time to turn on the charm.

I found her just shutting the door behind the room service delivery guy. She was wearing nothing but one of the terry cloth robes, and I wish we could go back to the events that should have transpired last night, but we needed to get this talk out of the way first. Not only that, I was concerned that now that she wasn't tipsy, she'd be a little less brazen in the light of day.

I helped her set out the food, and we sat down at the little table. I dug into my pancakes, moaning at the taste. Looking up, I could see her just staring at me, eyes a little glazed.

"Wha?" I asked through a mouthful of pancake.

She shook her head rapidly as if shaking out her thoughts and said, "Nothing," going back to eating her pancakes.

Once I'd eaten as much as I could, I suggested taking the coffee to the couch so we could be more comfortable while I discussed my idea with her. We moved over, and she settled in near the armrest, tucking her legs up underneath her and making sure the robe was covering all the important parts.

"So," I started, "I have an idea how we can help us both. But I need you to keep an open mind and not say anything until I've finished, okay?"

She looked at me dubiously but nodded in acquiescence.

"From what you said last night, you've purchased a house, one you can barely afford, and you need things to fill up the space. I, on the other hand, owe some guys a lot of money that I won't be able to get in the three months they've given me unless I sell my soul to the devil—namely my father—and go to med school, which I don't want."

She nodded, waving her hand as if to urge me to keep going, so I did.

"You know at the bachelor party, Emmett was talking about all the crap they got, just for getting married. He said that even people who didn't come to the wedding sent gifts or cash. He told us Rosalie said it's like etiquette or something. So I think that we—" I motioned to the two of us "—should get married."

**BPOV**

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" I yelled. "I don't even know you. I can't marry you!"

I got up and started pacing back and forth in front of the table. "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard, Edward." I threw my hands up in the air.

"Bella, please sit down and hear me out," he begged.

"No, Edward, just no. God, of all the stupid, idiotic ideas I've ever heard." I resumed my pacing. Lowering my voice, I mocked, "I think we should get married. HA! Stupid!"

He got up from the couch so fast it tipped over slightly, coming down with a thud and startled me out of motion. Grabbing my arms lightly, he pleaded, "Just hear me out; you didn't let me finish."

I sighed in frustration but sat back down. He sat back down and, looking at me, he said, "Are you going to let me finish what I was trying to say now?"

I nodded.

"No interruptions this time," he pointed a finger at me. I sighed.

"So, as I was saying, we should get married." I started to open my mouth but he silenced me with just one look. "I'm not saying that we have to actually do it, Bella. We just have to tell people we're doing it. Think about it. There will be showers planned and all those things that girls do for brides and engagement parties, a Jack and Jill, not to mention the fact that those guests that are invited but can't come will send stuff too. We tell people we're getting married and invite everyone we know. You can keep the stuff we get, and I'll keep the cash. You'll have a furnished house, and I'll have the money to not only pay off my debt but get a bank loan to buy my shop. It's not like we actually have to go through with it either. After we get the stuff, we'll just call off the wedding."

It took me a minute to realize that I was actually seriously considering this. Oh, my God, I think this could actually work; there was just one small thing. "Edward, wedding etiquette also states that if you don't actually get married, you have to return all the gifts."

"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed. He sat there for a minute thinking. "Hey, that's okay too. We'll just tell everyone we eloped. For now, I'll move into your house so you have a bed, then we'll live together for six months after we elope," he air quoted around the word elope. "Then we'll tell everyone it didn't work out, and I'll move out again."

I sighed. I didn't think I could do this. What kind of person lied to their family and friends? But I had little choice, didn't I? Unless my work really took off, I'd be homeless in no time. It's not that I didn't get along with Edward—well at least the small amount of time we'd spent together—and hell, it could be fun to have a roommate. So I threw caution to the wind, stuck out my hand, and shook his saying, "Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

Bella and I parted ways at the hotel shortly after making our deal. To be perfectly honest, I was feeling more than a little excited about it. I would finally be able to pay back Jake and potentially have enough money to cover the costs of buying the shop; I'd at least have enough in my account that the bank would consider a loan. I decided to take a trip by and see how it was looking.

It was a small building but it was perfect. Marcus had taken me under his wing when I dropped out of college and decided to live my dream of being a tattoo artist. He'd done all of my work for me and taught me everything he knew. He first came to me when he decided to sell. It was perfect. I wanted it so bad I could taste it.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, I pulled it out and noticed it was my dad calling—again—so I pressed the button to ignore it and headed over to Jasper and Alice's house to start sorting out my stuff.

Jasper and Alice were cuddled on the couch when I got there. I gave them a hasty wave and tried to get by them without being pulled into a conversation I didn't want at the moment. I didn't get my wish.

"So, Edward," Alice said with a huge grin on her face. "Jazzy told me you and Bella hooked up at the wedding yesterday."

"Uh, yeah," I said, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "Something like that."

Jasper waggled his eyebrows at me suggestively. I scowled at him.

"So what are you up to today, man?" he asked me. "Getting together with Bella?"

"Nah, man," I replied. "I'll probably give her a call sometime though, she's pretty cool. But I did want to talk to you guys about something."

Alice looked worried. "It sounds important."

"It is, uh," I started nervously. "I appreciate all you guys have done for me, letting me stay here the past couple months since my dad cut me off. I think I've found something a little more permanent though, so I'm going to be moving out by the end of the week."

"Really?" Jasper asked "That's great, man, but you know you have a home here as long as you want."

"I know, and I appreciate it, but it's time for me to get out. You guys don't need a third wheel around all the time."

"We don't mind having you here, Edward," Alice said. "You haven't been an imposition at all."

I smiled at her; she was so great for Jasper. "Thanks, Ali. But really, it's time. I don't want to overstay my welcome, and who knows, maybe I'll need to use your extra room again."

My phone buzzed again, DAD, I scowled and shut it off. "Is your old man still trying to get in touch with you?" Jasper asked.

I huffed. "Yeah. Fucking prick," I mumbled.

"Did you even speak to him at the wedding yesterday?" Alice asked me.

"No, I avoided him, not that he didn't try though."

"Eventually, you're going to have to talk to him, you know?" she said gently.

I sighed. "I know, but I'm still pretty angry. Just because I don't want to follow in his footsteps doesn't make me any less his son, you know? For him to accuse me of slacking, and cut me off, really hurt. I work damn hard at what I do. I know I can do this."

"We know," Jasper said. "You also know if you need anything, you can come to us, right?"

I did know that, but I couldn't take advantage of them any more than I felt I had already. I excused myself shortly after that to make arrangements for my stuff.

**BPOV**

It's been two days since Edward moved his stuff into my apartment, and it's been strange, to say the least. At first, I was going to continue sleeping on the air mattress that I had, but he insisted his bed was big enough for us to share, and since we would be "getting married", it only made sense we share a room in case anyone came over. I realized it would be weird if we were sleeping in separate rooms if we were supposed to be in love with each other, so I conceded his point. What makes it weird, and somewhat awkward, is that each morning we've woken up completely tangled in one another. Legs tangled, my head on his chest, and his arms wrapped around me.

It's been almost a week since Rosalie and Emmett got married, and we haven't yet told anyone about us taking the plunge. We want to wait for Rosalie and Emmett to come back from their honeymoon and announce it to them all at the same time. I'm nervous, but I'm trying not to let Edward see how much. I still wonder sometimes about how wrong this is, to lie just to get stuff. My stomach feels queasy every time he brings it up. He seems to think that there is nothing wrong with it. I'm not sure how much that says about his character, but how much does it say about mine that I'm willing to go along with it?

Alice called me again this morning, and I blew off lunch plans with her. She's starting to get suspicious, but I can't face her alone the first time. She'll see right through me, and there are still things Edward and I need to discuss. Things like our favorite colors, foods, and if we should get me a ring.

He's been out all morning but left his cell phone behind. It keeps ringing off the hook, and every time I glance at it, it flashes DAD across the screen. I contemplate answering it just to tell him to leave a message and Edward will call him back or quit calling, because the ringing is getting annoying, but figure pissing off his father isn't something I want to do, seeing as how I've never met the man.

I'm about ready to throw the phone at the wall or pick it up, when the door opens, and Edward walks in carrying a pizza and a case of beer.

"Why are you holding my phone?" he asks me.

"It's been ringing all fucking morning," I respond. "I was going to either answer it or throw it against the wall. You should call your father, at the rate he's been calling here, it's probably pretty important."

I can see him bristle, and he sets down the pizza and beer, walks over to me, and taking the phone out of my hand, shuts it off completely.

"I'll call him later," he grumbles.

I wonder what that's about.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

I figured it was time to talk to Bella about my dad. If we were going to be going through with this wedding scheme, she was going to meet him eventually and had the right to know what she'd be up against.

I needed some beer for this conversation, so it's a good thing I bought some. Bringing the pizza and beer over to the thrift store couch we'd picked up, I patted the seat beside me. She grabbed some paper plates, rolling her eyes at me as I plucked a piece of pizza out of the box and started eating it. She wasn't lying when she said she had nothing for her house. All she had when I showed up here a few days ago was an air mattress, pillow, blanket, and a whole room full of art supplies.

Her chosen profession floored me. I had her pegged as a teacher not an artist. But from what I'd seen of her work, she was damn good. She had a passion for it, and it showed. Being an artist myself, I could appreciate her talent. I wondered, if I could teach her, would she be willing to work for me? It would be like working with a different canvas. She would probably enjoy it. If she didn't want to learn how to work the gun, she could at least design pieces for me. Maybe she'd want to work reception, make the bookings, and draw during her spare time. Unless we sorted out this wedding stuff, my shop would remain a dream though.

"Bella," I started, after we'd eaten our fill of food and I'd gotten us each another beer, "I think it's time we had a talk."

"That sounds ominous," she replied.

"No, it's nothing bad. I just think that we should discuss everything about the wedding. There's stuff you should know before you fully agree to jump into this with me."

She was starting to freak out. So I dove right in.

**BOV**

To say I was shocked to hear how much money Edward had, or would have when he hit thirty, would be an understatement. I couldn't believe that he'd have to create a scheme to come up with money to purchase the tattoo shop he wanted, until he told me his father refused to help him, even though he'd agreed to pay him back once he got his trust, all because Edward didn't want to become a doctor. It made me sick to my stomach and reminded me a lot of my mother. She had the means to help me too, but wouldn't because I refused to marry who she wanted me too. I shuddered at the thought of Alec. He was so boring; I couldn't imagine myself married to a man like that.

"That really … sucks, Edward. "Is that why you aren't answering your phone?"

"I really have nothing to say to him right now, Bella. He made it perfectly clear that I was on my own when I dropped out. I moved in with Jasper and Alice, and I've been working at the shop, trying to come up with the money since. Jasper offered to help me out, but he'd done enough already. They're just starting out, I didn't want to take more from them."

I decided right then and there that Edward Masen was a good guy. If I had to be married to anyone right now, real or fake, it would be him. We discussed a little of my situation: how embarrassed my mother was that I was a 'starving artist,' how she complained that I didn't have a house like my friends, and how that led to the purchase of this monstrosity I was currently living in. Edward tried to offer to pay part of the mortgage, but I couldn't let him do that, he was helping me enough. We argued until we compromised that he could pay for the food and some of the bills.

By the time we were finished talking, it was late, both of us had a nice buzz going, and we decided to go to bed.

**EPOV**

Bella Swan was trying to kill me; she'd be the death of me, I swear it. Death by sexual frustration. I knew that in the light of day after the wedding and not drunk, she wouldn't be as brazen as she had been at the wedding, but she was slowly killing me with the outfits she wore to bed. It was little more then underwear and a tank top. She called them shorts, but seriously, I could see her ass cheeks hanging out the bottom. I wanted to mount her and have my way with her, but she was still so awkward sometimes around me, and I didn't want to push.

Rosalie and Emmett would be returning from their honeymoon in two days, and they had invited us all, via email, to come to their place for dinner. They had gifts for us and wanted us to see their pictures. I could tell it made Bella slightly nervous that we planned to tell our friends about us that night at dinner, and I tried my best to be calm, but inside I was freaking out a little too.

I got up the next morning and headed into work. Marcus was just unlocking the doors when I arrived.

"Hey, Mase, how's it hanging?"

"Long and to the left," I replied, bumping his fist with my own. He sure was a cool guy for sixty. I couldn't believe how long he'd been in business when someone referred me to his shop the first time. "So, I think I've found a way to come up with the money to at least get a loan for this place."

"Really? That would be great. I really want to be out of here by spring. That gives you about six months."

I really hoped this thing with Bella would work. I didn't have any options left, and I felt like I was running out of time. Three months to pay back Jake before he had his goons put me in the hospital and six to get the money together to buy this place or Marcus would sell to Volturi.

**BPOV**

While Edward was at work, I decided to work on some paintings for my gallery showing in a couple of weeks. I dragged the canvas I was working on into the middle of the spare room and changed into my painting clothes. While I painted, I contemplated our situation a little more. I was avoiding everyone for the most part and being around only Edward was starting to mess with my head.

I could easily see myself falling for him, which would be awful for both myself and my heart when he left after our six months were up. I sighed, turning my attention to what I was painting. Most of my paintings were landscapes, but this one, this one was different. I had painted an exact replica of Edward's eyes. I groaned and hid the canvas in the closet. That would be so embarrassing if he found that. I left the spare room, grabbed a bottle of wine from the kitchen and a fresh canvas, and headed back into the spare room. I turned on some music to keep my thoughts clear and took a swig of wine directly from the bottle. I turned back to the fresh canvas, and clearing my mind, started painting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

I arrived home later that evening to the sounds of Def Leppard's "Bringing on the Heartache" from upstairs, with Bella warbling along, horribly off-key—loudly. I snickered to myself and wandered upstairs to see what she was up to.

She was sitting in her painting room, wearing nothing but a pair of overalls with one strap hanging down and a sports bra. She was covered in paint and wiggling her hips back and forth in time to the music. I had to suppress my laugh; she looked so cute. I watched her bring a bottle of wine to her mouth and guzzle some down. Some of it must have dripped down her chin because I saw her take her finger and wipe it into her mouth, sucking on her finger. I couldn't suppress my groan, and she startled, dropping the bottle to the floor, and turned abruptly—staggering.

"Edward," she exclaimed, hand on her chest over her heart. "You scared the shit out of me."

She hiccupped, and I could feel my brow furrowing.

"Bella, are you drunk?" I asked her.

She pinched her thumb and forefinger together and hiccupped again, slurring, "Maybe a little."

I laughed, and she pouted; it was adorable. I walked over and poked her lip. "What has you drunk at—" I consulted my watch, " ―eight o'clock in the evening?"

She poked me in the chest and said, "You."

My brow furrowed further. "Me?"

She poked me again "Yes, you. I can't stop painting you. Make it stop, Edward."

I didn't see any paintings in the room, save for the one on her easel, and I walked toward it. She jumped on my back and covered my eyes yelling, "NO!" I flinched at the sound.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "You can't see. 'Cause then you'll see. I don't know if I want you to see."

I laughed. "Bell, you aren't making any sense."

"I know," she cried, burying her face in my neck. I shivered at the exhalation of her breath on my skin; I could feel my pants getting a little tight.

Chuckling, I placed my hands under her thighs so she wouldn't fall. "Come on, spider monkey, I think you need a bath then bed."

I carried her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed, most of the paint on her seemed to be dry. I left her there and walked into the bathroom to start the bath. Once it was full, I went to go get Bella, only to find her curled up on her side and snoring lightly. I moved down beside her and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. "Bell, your bath is ready."

She pouted in her sleep. "Don't wanna bath," she mumbled.

I chuckled and kissed her head gently. "Okay, you stay here and sleep."

I started to get up and walk away but she grabbed my wrist. "Stay."

So I climbed onto the bed beside her, and she snuggled right into me, pressing her ass against my straining erection. Fuck, Bella Swan was going to be the death of me.

**BPOV**

I was going to throw up. I don't know why I thought this was a good idea. Alice and Rosalie were going to see right through this scheme, call us out on it, and blow it all. I was hyperventilating, and I was going to pass out. Edward walked into the bedroom, where I was still sitting in my bra and underwear.

"You almost ready to go?" he asked, checking me out. Things between us had been a lot different since my drinking binge the other day. It was exhilarating and nerve wracking at the same time. Sometimes, I would catch him looking at me, and three times I thought he was close to kissing me, but then he'd back off. It was starting to give me whiplash.

I stood up and shook my head violently back and forth, starting to pace. "No, I'm not ready. I can't do this. We can't do this. They're going to know, Edward. They're going to know, and I'm going to lose my house and then my truck, even though my truck sucks. I'm going to be homeless and live in a cardboard box beside Caius at the coffee shop down the street in an alley that smells like piss and vomit. What am I going to do?" I wailed.

"Bell," he said, grabbing me by the shoulders and halting my movement. "It's going to be fine. They won't know anything because we're going to bring our A-game. It will work. Have a little faith in us, okay? We make a good team. Now breathe with me, honey."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. We did this a few times until my breathing returned to normal.

"You good now?"

"I'm good now."

"Good. Now as much as I love to see you in nothing but your underwear, get dressed," he said, waggling his eyebrows at me lasciviously. "There are things that Emmett and Jasper really don't need to see."

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear he was jealous. There was no way that could be true though, he didn't feel for me what I was starting to feel for him. I dressed quickly and got into Edward's car. His was much nicer than mine. Some sleek silver thing; it was a thing of beauty. I wondered if he'd let me borrow it for my next gallery show that was coming up in a couple of weeks. I'd really have to get back to painting if I wanted anything to show at all, but all I could seem to paint lately was Edward. His eyes, his hands, his crooked smile. I sighed. When did his features start taking over my every thought?

Edward backed the car out onto the road, took a hold of my hand, and off we went. I just hoped they'd believe us. If we couldn't fool our friends, we were dead in the water.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

Dinner was going well. Both girls remarked on how quiet Bella seemed to be. She passed it off as being nervous about her gallery show coming up; I don't think they believed her though. I decided that sooner, rather than later, we should drop the bomb and get it over with. Maybe then she'd relax a little. I was planning on waiting until after dessert was served. Bella, it seemed, had other plans.

"Edward and I are getting married!" she blurted.

Emmett choked on his beer, Jasper shot me a look, and Alice and Rosalie looked from Bella to me, back to Bella, to each other, and then back to Bella before Rosalie said, "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Hey!" I said, slightly offended. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't get pissy, Edward," Emmett said. "It's just that you've known each other, what, a week?"

"Did I question you when you met Rosalie and said to me no 'offense, bro, but that chick is banging and I'm going to marry her' the first time you met?" I gave him a pointed look before turning to Jasper, who was just opening his mouth. "Did I question you when you saw Alice across the room, sighed, and said 'she's the one'?"

Both of their mouths closed. I had them, and they knew it. Rosalie and Alice, on the other hand, didn't seem to get it. It appeared that while I was busy tackling the boys, they had grabbed Bella and were whispering harshly to her over in the corner. She shot me a panicked look, and I knew I'd have to take charge before they made her change her mind.

I got up out of my seat and walked right in between them. Standing in front of Bella, I cupped her face in my hands and wiped away the one tear that had managed to escape her eyes. "Don't listen to them, Bell," I said, kissing her on the forehead. "If they can't be happy for you, maybe they aren't your friends after all. Let's go."

Without giving them a chance, I grabbed Bella's hand and tugged her from the corner. I shot Rosalie, who still looked pissed, and Alice, now looking a little contrite, a glare before leading her away from them.

"That's really nice, guys. We were both so happy for all of you when you found each other, the least you could have done was pretend to be happy for us," I told them. "Have a nice rest of your evening, but my fiancée and I are going home now." I grabbed Bella's purse from beside the door and led her outside.

I opened Bella's car door for her and helped her get her seatbelt on, kissing the top of her head while doing so. Then I jogged around to my side and got in. Bella's hands were over her face and her shoulders were shaking. I backed the car out of the driveway and onto the road. I chanced a glance at her again.

"Bella," I said, "I'm really sorry if I overstepped back there. But I just couldn't let them upset you anymore. Are you all right?" Her shoulders were still shaking and her hands were still over her face.

I pulled the car over to the side of the road and unbuckled my seatbelt. I leaned over the center console and removed her hands from her face to find her—laughing? What the fuck?

**BPOV**

The look on Edward's face when he saw I was laughing was priceless. It was a mix between shocked and anxious. Like he thought I was losing my mind. Maybe I was.

"Did you … did you see their faces?" I asked while trying to control my laughter. "Rosalie looked like she wanted to take your balls off with a rusty knife, and Alice looked like she was going to cry. Jasper and Emmett just looked dazed. That was awesome."

He couldn't help but start laughing with me, and we laughed the whole way home. When we got there, both of us started getting ready for bed. I felt the urge to paint and didn't know how long I'd be able to suppress it before it overtook me completely. It was like that sometimes. When the urge struck, even if it was the middle of the night, I couldn't help but get out of bed.

After brushing my teeth, I climbed into bed beside Edward. I rolled over on my side to face him, a piece of my hair falling in front of my face. Edward slowly reached forward and tucked it behind my ear. I froze, my eyes locked with his. He licked his lips. I wanted to kiss him. He leaned over slightly. I thought for sure he was going to kiss me too when his eyes darted to my lips. I licked them in anticipation. He leaned toward me, placing a kiss on my forehead and then laying back down. I masked my disappointment.

It was silent for a few minutes before I hesitantly called his name. "Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say thanks, for um, sticking up for me with Rosalie and Alice. It was really sweet of you."

"No problem, Bell. Have a good sleep," he mumbled before his soft snores filled the air.

I don't know how long I laid awake before getting up and going to the spare room to paint.

**EPOV**

I woke up alone in bed in the middle of the night. I was confused for a moment; it was weird to wake up not tangled in Bella with the smell of her shampoo in my nose. Every night we'd slept together, it didn't matter how far apart we started, we always ended up tangled in the morning. It had been awkward at first, but we were growing used to it, and it was a little unsettling to wake up alone.

I ran my fingers through my messy hair and contemplated where to look for her when I heard a noise from the spare room. I got up and went to investigate. She stood with her back facing the door: canvas in front of her, shoulders slumped in defeat. I couldn't understand why; the painting was beautiful. It was two hands intertwined: large, strong fingers encasing smaller fingers. It was so realistic, you could see the lines of the knuckles. I walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She seemed like she needed comfort.

She gasped and turned quickly, her eyes darting to mine before glancing back over her shoulder at the painting. "What are you doing in here?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I woke up and you weren't there."

"Sorry about that. Sometimes, I just have to paint when I feel the urge." She looked nervously at the painting again.

"It's beautiful," I told her.

She gave me a small smile but shrugged off my comment.

"No, really, Bell. It's amazing. You could be a tattoo artist if you wanted. People would pay good money for work like this."

She laughed. "No way. I don't do blood. Don't a lot of people bleed while they get tattoos?"

"Some do," I said. "But you could always come work in the shop and draw. Seriously, I'm sure Marcus wouldn't mind if you wanted to stop by and work on stuff during the day. It would get you out of the house."

She contemplated my words before nodding her head and saying, "Okay."

**BPOV**

It took a couple weeks for me to take Edward up on his offer. My gallery show had to be postponed due to flooding in the basement, and I now had more time to work on my stuff, which was a relief since, at home, I still couldn't bring myself to paint anything other than Edward. Only now, I was starting to paint pieces of us together. It was frightening, the feelings I was starting to have for him. I was falling, hard and fast, but I was scared it was one-sided.

Working at the shop was different. I stayed mostly at the front counter and drew stuff to paint on canvas later. Sometimes, if the guys were busy, I booked appointments for them. Edward was right, though. I needed the change in scenery. I had managed to finally paint some other things than images of him. Perhaps not seeing him all the time was the issue before. Having to imagine what he was up to all day, not knowing what was going on, and what he was doing.

Of course, being at the shop had brought on its own set of issues. Female issues mainly, and I'm not talking about PMS or anything. No, I'm talking about the large number of girls that Edward tattooed in a day. They hung all over him with their fake nails and fake hair and fake boobs. I'd never known what it felt like to be jealous of someone until I watched him flirt with them.

He told me that he flirted to get more money out of them, and I could understand that, to a degree. I didn't think that he should be taking their numbers though; we were engaged, well, pretend engaged. What if Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie or Alice came in and saw him? Certainly, they would know our relationship was a sham if he was openly flirting in front of me. When I tried to talk to him about it, he just laughed it off.

Currently, a woman, who I would like to refer to as the Red Devil, was sitting in his chair getting a flower tattooed close to her hip. She kept pushing her pants further down until her crotch was practically in his face. I could see from where I was standing that she waxed, that's how much she'd exposed herself, and I just snapped. I slammed my pencil down on the counter so hard it rattled, causing both Marcus and Edward to stop what they were doing, and all four heads turned towards me.

"That's it!" I yelled. "I can't take this anymore!"

I stormed out from behind the counter like a woman possessed and walked right up to Edward's station pointing my finger in his face. "You are being disrespectful of my feelings by openly flirting with these girls right in front of me." I turned to the girl sitting in the chair, who was gaping at me with her mouth wide open. "And you, stop shoving your nasty cunt in my fiancé's face! I'll see you at home, Edward."

I flounced out the door and walked to my car. I could hear Edward running after me, shouting my name, but I didn't stop. I got in and drove myself home, where I drowned myself in a bottle of wine.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

I trudged back into the shop with my head down. How could I have been so insensitive to her feelings like that? I was the one that invited her to come here, and then I throw other women in her face. I don't know what I would do if she openly flirted with someone in front of me. Things between us were starting to feel a little more complicated; I didn't know how to explain it. I was starting to feel things a fake fiancé shouldn't feel.

The truth was, Bella was sweet and kind. She was playful yet serious. Not to mention gorgeous and talented. We had a lot in common, and she was someone, who under normal circumstances, I could find myself dating for real. I just didn't know how to change our arrangement now that we'd started it, and I didn't think I wanted too. I had promised her I'd help her out, and I couldn't do that if this wedding thing didn't go through.

I still hadn't spoken to my father, but that was going to change this weekend. Bella and I had arranged a dinner with my father and mother along with her mother and stepfather. I wondered about her father, but since she hadn't mentioned him, I didn't bring it up. During dinner, we were going to be dropping the wedding bomb. That is, if it was still on after the heinous way I'd treated her.

Marcus looked up at me as I walked back to my station. He was glaring at me. I knew he really liked Bella, and I found myself more ashamed of my actions than I was before. I was just trying to make extra money. I didn't mean to upset her.

"You should reschedule the rest of your appointments for today and go home and fix that, son," he told me.

I nodded my head. I didn't know what to say.

"Seriously, Mase, it's not worth it. Flirting with these girls could end up costing you more than you know. My girl, she put up with a lot from me, but one day it got to be too much for her, and she packed up her things and left. Sent me divorce papers from Florida, and I never heard from her again." He sighed. "Don't make my mistakes. Bella's a great girl; she's good for you. I've never seen you this happy."

I finished the tattoo I was working on and then called my other two clients to reschedule them for the next day. Thankfully, I'd had openings. I got my stuff together, gave Marcus a fist bump, than headed home.

By the time I made it, a couple of hours had passed. I found Bella in her painting room. She was staring at the picture of the clasped hands. She had a bottle of wine in one hand and a paint brush in the other, touching up something on the painting.

"Bella," I whispered from behind her, not wanting to startle her. "I really am sorry for what happened today, for flirting in front of you. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She sighed but didn't turn around to face me.

"Bell, please, look at me," I pleaded with her. I saw her wipe under her eye, and I felt like a total dick. "Please, baby, I'm sorry."

She turned around to face me, and in that moment, I realized that I couldn't keep treating her the way I had, couldn't keep taking her for granted. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her cheeks wet from her tears, and I wanted nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and hold on really tight. So I did.

She started sobbing into my chest, apologizing for her behaviour at the shop. I shushed her and stroked her hair. I found myself kissing the top of her head. She didn't protest, so I didn't think she found it creepy. After a while, she calmed down a bit. I could see she was tired, so I took her hand and laced her fingers with mine. The sight of our laced fingers gave me a feeling of déjà-vu, but I shrugged it off and tugged her gently through the door to the bedroom. I sat her on the bed, wiped another tear from her cheek, and went to the bathroom to run her a bath.

I came out of the bathroom and took her hand in mine again. I led her into the bathroom, depositing some clothes I had pulled from the dresser onto the counter.

"I'm going to order us some dinner," I said. "You get in the bath and relax; it will be here by the time you get out, okay?"

She nodded her head but didn't say anything. I left her to her bath.

We ate dinner in silence that night, neither of us knowing what to say but both of us knowing that something had changed significantly. It wasn't until later, when we were in bed with Bella snuggled up to my side snoring gently, that I realized where I had recognized the sight of our clasped hands before—it was her painting.

**BPOV**

It was the night we were set to have dinner with our parents, and I was less nervous than the dinner with our friends. My philosophy now was if they don't like it, screw them. It was going to happen. Well, fake happen. Whatever. I was so confused. Things between Edward and I had been weird since my freak out at the shop that day. I continued to go to the shop with him; the first time apologizing to Marcus, who waved me off, but Edward didn't flirt with anyone but me. I was so torn inside wondering what this meant for us. If we were real or still fake. At home, it was just like we were a real couple.

We pulled up in front of the restaurant, and I noticed that Edward had made no move to get out of the car.

"You okay?" I asked.

He nodded his head but then shook it back and forth. "I haven't exactly, uh, talked to my dad since he cut me off. I even sent him a text to invite him and mom to dinner tonight."

I wasn't shocked, to be honest. I knew things were strained between them, but I figured he'd at least call them personally to invite them. Or talk to his mother. I grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles. "I'm here for you, Edward. If you want to leave at any time, just say the word and we're out of here."

"Thanks, baby," he said, kissing me softly. It wasn't the first time we'd kissed since my freak out, but it still gave me butterflies.

We walked hand in hand into the restaurant, giving the hostess our name. She let us know the rest of our party had arrived and led us to the table. As we were approaching, I stiffened, gripping Edward's hand tighter and halting in my steps. This was going to go over like a fart in church.

"I can't believe she did this," I hissed through my teeth.

"Did what?" Edward asked.

"She invited Alec. To our engagement dinner. Oh, this is going to be so bad."

Edward looked at the table, eyes narrowing on the brown-haired man sitting beside my mother. "Who's Alec?"

I quietly explained that Alec was the man my mother wanted me to marry. She'd been trying to get me to marry him for years. Alec worked with Phil, her husband, and was ten years my senior and looking for a trophy wife. I refused to be that person. Edward chuckled darkly before leading us to the table. The five occupants were sitting there awkwardly, none of them knowing what to say to each other.

Edward cleared his throat when we got to the edge of the table causing all five heads to snap in our direction. My mother's eyes zeroing in on our linked hands. "Edward, it's about time you showed up." A man that looked exactly the way Edward would look in twenty years stood up. "Ed Masen," he announced to me, sticking out his hand. I shook it.

He introduced me to Edward's mother, Elizabeth, who did little more than nod her head in a polite hello. Just as I was about to introduce my mother and Phil, Edward gave me a mischievous look and loudly announced, "Mother, Father, I'd like to introduce you to Isabella Swan―" then looking straight at my mother and Alec added "―my fiancée."

I guess I wasn't the only one of us capable of being jealous.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

Okay, so I had a total 'piss on her leg' moment when I announced the engagement before I could be properly introduced to her mother. I couldn't help it. The whole time my father was introducing himself to Bella that Alec-ass had his eyes on her tits. What was I supposed to do? Sit there and let it happen. I didn't even give a thought to Bella's mother, who suddenly stood from her chair, hands on her hips, and started laying into Bella.

My father was glaring at me too. I couldn't even think of what his problem would be but was too worried about Bella to care in that moment. I tuned back into the conversation in time to hear Bella tell her mother that she knew she'd be meeting someone that was special to Bella and that person's parents and asked what would possess her to bring Alec along in the first place. Her mother muttered something about thinking it was a girl not a fiancé that she'd had no knowledge of.

I pulled out Bella's chair and helped her into it. Chancing a glance at my mother, I realized she was out of it, like usual; probably high on some prescription drug or drunk already. Once we'd sat down, Alec stood up, excusing himself and saying that he had work to do at the office. I couldn't help but smile, causing Bella to kick me under the table. I grinned at her and shrugged my shoulders. My father cleared his throat, still glaring at me. What the fuck was his deal?

"So, Edward, I guess you've spoken to Jenks?" my father said suddenly. I wondered why he'd bring up the family lawyer, but before I could question it, he turned to Bella and asked, "So how much is my son paying all of you to be part of this charade?"

"Ex-excuse me?" Bella stuttered, looking from me to my father. "I don't think I understand what you mean?"

"Yeah, Dad," I said, "why don't you enlighten us all."

He snorted. "Give up the games, Edward. I know you've spoken to Jenks. This is just one more way for you to undermine me, isn't it? What I want to know is how much you paid all these people to play your game with you. I'll pay you all double," he said, turning to Bella's mother. She gave him a dirty look.

"Phil, do you know what this man is going on about?" she asked her husband. He seemed as out of it as my dear old mother.

Furious, I finally snapped at my father. "If you're accusing me of something, why don't you just spit it out?"

"Fine, Edward, fine. I want to know if this woman agreed to pretend to marry you so you can get your trust early!" he seethed.

I was confused. "I don't … I don't know what you're talking about?"

He scoffed. "Really? You want me to believe that this girl―" he motioned to Bella with a sneer "―is the love of your life, after what, a couple of months? I know you found out from Jenks about the stipulation in your grandfather's will. Trust me, I'll be having a talk with him about it. You can all just go home now; no need to continue this farce any longer."

I watched, dumbfounded, while Renee stood up. "Well, Isabella, this has been fun. But I don't feel the need to stay here if what this man is saying is true. Phil, let's go." She walked out of the restaurant, leaving a gaping Bella behind.

What was my father talking about? I didn't understand what was going on. I could feel my body shaking. Then I felt the warmth of her hand.

**BPOV**

I could feel the tension coming off Edward. What in the bloody hell was his father talking about? What was he accusing him of? Then I started to feel guilty because we were fooling them. But it had nothing to do with a man named Jenks. I looked at Edward and he was shaking. I placed my hand in his to give him some support. He looked over to me and gave me a soft smile.

"I knew you would try something sneaky, Edward. I just didn't think you would stoop to this level. Paying someone to marry you. All so you could get your hands on your trust early to blow it on some pipedream!" his father yelled, garnering the attention of a few patrons nearby. I could see the look of shock on Edward's face at his father's words.

I, however, had had it with this. "Enough," I said, loudly slamming my free hand on the table and snapping the two glowering men from their stare down. Edward's mother continued to sit silently with a glazed look on her face. I wondered briefly how often she stepped in to mediate and decided it was probably never.

"I will not allow you to tarnish our relationship any further," I seethed. "I love your son, and if you can't see it, then that's your problem. We will not sit here and take this. Let's go, Edward." I pulled his hand and turned, practically dragging him out of the restaurant.

When we got to the valet, I retrieved the car and made Edward sit in the passenger seat. He didn't look like he was even present in the here and now, let alone able to drive a car. I got in the driver's seat and headed home. It wasn't until we were halfway there that Edward spoke.

"Did you mean it?" he asked in a whisper.

"Mean what?"

"You said," he paused, licking his lips, "you said you love me."

I ran over the conversation in my head and gasped as a blush flooded my cheeks. Had I really blurted that out loud? In front of his father and mother for the first time? I wanted to die. I found that I couldn't lie to him either; he looked so small in that moment. Gone was the confident, sexy, cocky Edward that both excited me and drove me nuts. In his place was a lost, scared little boy that only wanted his parents' approval.

"Yes," I whispered. "Yes, I meant it." I continued on, my voice growing stronger with each line until I was talking at a normal volume. "I don't know how, or when, but I do know that I love you, Edward Masen. I don't … I don't want this to be fake. I want something real. I want to love you, and I want you to love me. I want to get married, have babies, and grow old together. I don't care about your money, or what you want to do with your life. I just want you. You and me, together."

I couldn't look him in the eye, worried that he wouldn't or couldn't feel the same.

"Pull over," Edward said abruptly.

I pulled the car over to the side of the road. He jumped out of the car, and I exhaled and lowered my head against the steering wheel, tears gathering in my eyes. This is where he called the whole thing off. I could feel it. I wanted to cry.

The door opened suddenly. "Get out," was all Edward said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

She looked nervous as she got out of the car, but she didn't need to be. Sure, I'd been locked inside my head since my father dropped that bomb at dinner, but Bella's bomb had hit me hardest. She loved me; she returned my feelings. I thought my heart might explode in that moment.

I got out of the passenger seat and ran around to the driver's side, grasping her face in my hands. "Say it again," I pleaded, looking into her eyes.

"I love yo—" I didn't even let her get her statement out before I kissed her with as much passion as I felt inside. I literally thought my heart could burst.

"I love you too," I said after I was finished ravishing her mouth before going in for another kiss.

A car honking as it drove past us brought us out of our lip lock, and I pressed my forehead against hers, laughing. She joined in with me. I grasped her fingers in mine. "I mean it, Bell. I love you too. I don't know what took me so long to say it, but it doesn't make it any less true. What do you say we go home and sort some stuff out, okay?"

She nodded her head. "You feel like driving now that you feel better?" she asked.

I grinned and nodded, walking her around to the passenger side of the car, helping her into the seat and buckling her seatbelt for her. As I moved away from her, I dropped several kisses to her lips. She shook her head at me, laughing. I closed the door and got into the driver's seat.

I pulled up outside Bella's house and killed the engine. I knew once we got inside the house everything was going to change for us … for the better.

**BPOV**

Once we got inside, we both got changed into our pajamas. I think we both wanted to be as comfortable as possible for the conversation we were about to have. I had some questions, and I'm sure Edward did too. The first one being: what in the world his father had been so upset about.

Edward came back to the couch after getting us some beers from the fridge. "I called in an order for pizza since neither of us got any dinner."

I smiled at him. I noticed he had his phone with him. I wondered who he was going to call this late at night. I didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Hey, Jenks, it's Edward." He paused, listened to the person on the other end, and then chuckled without humor. "He already called you, did he? I want to know what the fuck he's talking about." … "Yes, you can tell me." … "I have the right to know, Jenks, since it obviously affects me."

I could see the range of emotions flickering across his face. He went from sad, to hurt, to mad, to awed, to full-on shock. "I, I, I …" He seemed at a loss for words before finally stuttering out, "I'll call you back in the morning."

He closed his phone and sat there for the longest time. I didn't know what to do, so I placed my hand gently on his arm. He breathed deeply in and out a couple of times before turning to me with a huge smile on his face.

"So, I just talked to Jenks." I nodded, knowing that already. "It seems as if nobody was entirely truthful with me after my grandfather died. My father said I didn't need to be present for the reading of the will; that everything in it didn't affect me until I was older. He told Jenks that I had to go back to school and asked if it was okay if I wasn't there. Knowing my family for years, Jenks didn't even question it. He figured I'd be told. Anyway, apparently, the money that was left for me in trust, there was a stipulation added that I would receive it before my thirtieth birthday if …" he paused looking at me, "if I got married."

My jaw dropped. Edward jumped from the couch, doing this little wiggly dance, and I started laughing at him.

"Isn't this awesome, baby?" he asked. "We're going to be rich! We won't have to worry about presents to furnish the place or the cash to open the shop. We won't need to worry about any of that. We can just do it all ourselves."

I was stunned. I couldn't accept that. I stuttered out an apology and ran upstairs to my painting room, slamming the door and locking myself inside. Thirty seconds later, Edward was banging on the door.

**EPOV**

I watched as she ran out of the room, and all I could think was what the fuck? She couldn't what? We needed to talk about this. So far, we'd been doing well with communicating, and I wasn't about to let that slip now. I followed her upstairs to her painting room and tried the door—it was locked.

"Bell, come on. Open the door," I pleaded with her. "Don't shut me out; talk to me."

I could hear her sniffling on the other side. I prayed silently that she'd open up and let me in. After an agonizing minute, I heard the lock click, and the door opened. She was standing there with her head down, hands clasped in front of herself, wringing them nervously.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" I whispered to her, taking her hand in mine.

"It's just," she hesitated, "I can't take your money like that. I should be able to support myself too, you know?"

"If my dad hadn't dropped the bomb at dinner that he did, would we still be getting fake married?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Okay then, so what's the issue? We would have gotten the money anyway. Half of it would be yours when we divorced in six months." She opened her mouth, so I cut her off. "We wouldn't have known about it, so don't say the word pre-nup to me, Bell." She closed her mouth. "The only thing that's changed, so far as I'm concerned, is that we've actually established that we really love each other and want to get married still. You do still want that, right?"

I bit my lip nervously, waiting for her answer. It didn't take long, to my relief.

"Yes."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I asked. Her eyes snapped to mine. I shrugged "I just want you, Bell. I don't need the bells and whistles. I was thinking that we could just hop a plane, go to Vegas, and get hitched. Now that I know about the money, I would feel bad taking gifts and stuff from anyone. So we'll just go and do it quietly. Without the fuss and speeches about brides stuffing their bras and picking their nose."

Bella started to laugh, and I grabbed her, pulling her into me. "I do love you." I got down on one knee. "Will you, Bell? Will you fly with me to Vegas tonight and get married?"

She got down on her knees in front of me and, grabbing my face with both hands, kissed me and said, "Yes!" I was the happiest man alive.

**BPOV**

It was a whirlwind after that of packing and calling airlines. I was so excited. I couldn't believe this was actually happening. More than once, Edward caught me, sitting on the bed, just staring off into space. He would just laugh and prompt me to hurry up. We had forgotten all about the pizza he ordered until it showed up, so we ate while we packed and got everything ready.

I was still a bundle of nerves as we boarded the plane. Edward was giddy. He told everyone who would listen that he was "whisking away the love of his life to marry her." Some people looked at him like he was straight up nuts, but some (mostly women) would smile and say "awww" like it was the most romantic thing they'd ever heard.

I'd never been to Vegas before, and it was a little overwhelming. We decided to get a room for the night and do the wedding thing in the morning. I didn't think Edward was ever going to get to sleep that night, and truthfully, I didn't think I would either. But by the time we laid our heads down on the pillow, we were both out like a light.

The next morning dawned bright and sunny. We got up and showered, separately to my chagrin, and dressed for the day. While we were eating from the buffet breakfast, Edward suggested that we go look at rings for the ceremony. We shopped around until we both found simple platinum bands that we liked. Neither of us was ostentatious in any way, so they were pretty similar with a simple small diamond in his and three larger ones in mine. I loved them. We found a small wedding chapel that offered what we wanted: pictures and a video that we could bring home to share with our loved ones.

The ceremony was simple and traditional. We had just wanted to get married. We didn't really need all that much of a fuss. I wore a white lace-covered dress I had found in the back of my closet, probably one of Alice's shopping finds that she had put in there, and Edward wore a nice pair of dress pants and a white button-down shirt. We exchanged vows and rings, signed the forms, and were officially husband and wife. I couldn't have been happier, and the smiles on both of our faces in the pictures and the brightness in our eyes could literally be felt by any who would look at them. It was perfect for us.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**EPOV**

We were married! I still couldn't believe that she'd actually said yes. We left the wedding chapel and headed back to the hotel we were staying in. Heading first to the room to drop off the pictures and video and then back to the bar. I really just wanted to be alone with Bella, but we had to eat sometime.

Everyone at the bar that heard we'd just gotten married, mostly because I couldn't stop telling everyone we ran into, bought us drinks of some sort. So by the time we were ready to leave, we were both so hammered. It reminded me a lot of the night of Emmett and Rosalie's wedding, only I hoped this time it wouldn't end with Bella in tears and me with a bad case of blue balls.

We got to the door of the room and I, once again, picked her up bridal style to carry her over the threshold. Bella was giggling and squirming in my arms, and if she wasn't careful, I was going to drop her on her adorable head. Once we got inside and I'd closed the door, I backed her up against it, trapping her in my arms.

"We're married," I whispered with my forehead pressed to hers.

"We are," she replied, biting on her lower lip. I reached my hand out and, using my thumb, released it from her teeth's grasp.

I leaned down to her neck and inhaled the sweet scent of her; she always smelled so damn good. I nuzzled her neck with my nose causing her to giggle and try and wiggle away from me.

I kissed below her ear, sucking softly before saying, "Do you know what I want to do to you? I want you so bad, baby. Sleeping beside you all this time and not being able to touch you has been torture."

She moaned, and I could feel my pants tighten. I ground my erection into her stomach. She clutched my hair and brought my mouth to hers, licking my bottom lip before pressing her lips to mine. I ground against her harder, she parted her lips—I took that as an invitation—and slowly thrust my tongue into her mouth. When she sucked on my tongue, my knees buckled slightly. I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

I set her on her feet at the side of the bed, kissing her deeply. I brought my hands around her waist, raising them slowly up her back to the top of her zipper. I clasped it between my thumb and forefinger, dragging it down so slowly. Once the zipper had reached the end, I dragged my hands back up her back, digging in softly so as not to mark her exposed skin, until my fingertips reached the top straps on her shoulders. I moved my hands around to the front and slipped my fingers underneath the straps. I pulled them gently down her arms, exposing her white lace bra. I let go of the straps and the dress fell in a puddle at her feet. She stepped out of it. She stood before me in white lace boy shorts and her bra, and I swear I'd never seen a more beautiful sight in my life.

As I stood there taking her in, she brought her hands up to the top of my dress shirt and started undoing the buttons one by one. Her hands were shaking slightly, from anticipation or nerves I couldn't tell, as she exposed more of my chest. She brought her lips to the area just over my heart, kissing it.

**BPOV**

I couldn't resist kissing every inch of his chest as I exposed it to my greedy eyes. I could feel his heart pounding beneath my lips, and I was glad he seemed as excited as I was. I was slightly amazed that we'd made it this far without consummating our relationship. We'd fooled around the night we met, but this would be the first time we made love, and my hands were shaking with anticipation.

When I reached the last button on his shirt, I ran my fingers up his chest to the tops of his shoulders, sliding them under the top of his shirt and then dragging it off his arms, letting it flutter to the floor to join my dress. Once his shirt was removed, I went to work on his belt buckle, then the button and zipper on his pants. They too fell to the floor and pooled at his feet. He stepped out of them, removing his socks.

He took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. Bringing my hand up to his mouth, he placed small open-mouthed kisses on my fingers. His eyes locked with mine. He led me to the bed, and I slowly crawled to the middle before lying down. He climbed in beside me, turning onto his side, and propping his head up on one arm. His muscle flexed, and I took the tip of my finger and traced one of the tattoos there.

"One of these days, I want you to tell me about these," I whispered. He nodded his head before slowly bringing his mouth down to mine.

His kiss was reverent, gentle, and passionate. The feel of his tongue sliding against mine made my toes curl and desire pooled low in my stomach. He took his hand and slid it down my chest, in between my breasts, until his fingers toyed with the edge of my panties. He worked his kisses from my mouth, across my jaw, and over to my ear where he whispered, "I want to touch you, Bell."

"Please," I moaned.

His fingers dipped below my panties, finding the spot where I was aching for him. My hips bucked in anticipation. He took a finger and traced my clit with it, causing me to shiver with want. Dragging his finger down gently, he found my opening and dipped just slightly inside before bringing the wetness up to my clit, again applying more pressure. His kisses were hungry, his breathing heavier. He slid his finger back down to my entrance, sliding it further inside before pulling it out and adding a second one. My back arched off the bed, and I moaned.

He pulled his fingers out and unclasped my bra, sliding it down my arms. He slid himself down my body, kissing everywhere he could reach, took my underwear in his hands, and rid me of them. He removed his boxers before kissing the inside of my knee. His tongue licking up my thigh until I could feel his hot breath on my core.

**EPOV**

She was splayed out in front of me, every beautiful inch. I wanted to taste her. I wanted her to come on my fingers, in my mouth, on my cock. I wanted it all. I didn't know how patient I could be. It had been a couple of months since we met, and she was better than any fantasy I'd had of her in the shower.

I could smell her sweet scent, and I wanted to dive right in, feast on her soft flesh. I licked a trail up her thigh, and skirting the edge of her pussy, licked the crevice between her pussy and her leg. She shuddered and ground her hips up toward my mouth. Placing one hand on her stomach to hold her down, I turned my head and blew lightly over her exposed flesh. She moaned. I reached out to touch her clit with the tip of my tongue, circling it gently.

"Please, Edward," she pleaded, attempting to thrust herself against my tongue. I obliged. She tasted so sweet, and I moaned at her taste, the vibration causing her to shudder and cry out. I could feast on her for hours and not get tired, but I wanted to be inside her so bad. My cock was aching, but I wanted her to come first. I used my fingers and thrust them inside her, licking and sucking gently at her clit. It didn't take long before I could feel her walls clenching around my fingers and hear her cries, muffled from her legs clutched around my head.

I brought her down from her orgasm by slowing down the strokes of my fingers and tongue. She grabbed my head and tugged gently, bringing me back up toward her face. I kissed a trail up her stomach and around each of her breasts, giving her nipples a bit of attention on the way.

"Condom?" I asked as I positioned myself at her entrance. She shook her head.

"I'm on the pill."

I looked her straight in the eyes, and as I slowly thrust my hips forward, kissed her and said, "I love you."

**BPOV**

If I thought Edward's tongue and fingers were magic, it was nothing to how he felt inside me. I'd never felt so full; he hit places inside that I didn't know existed and brought me to heights I had never reached. I didn't think it was possible for me to have a second orgasm, but he was proving me wrong as I could feel my walls tightening again.

"Oh, God, Bell. You feel … fuck you feel amazing, baby," he said, panting heavily against my neck. "Fuck, are you gonna come? I need you to come, baby."

I brought my fingers down between us to my clit to give myself that extra push I needed.

"It's okay, Edward, let go. Let me feel you," I said.

He thrust forward a few more times before he spilled inside me, and that was enough to push me over the edge again. He collapsed on top of me, kissing my neck, still sucking on it every so often.

Once we had both regained our breath, he gently pulled out of me, turning over on his side. He reached out and brushed my sweaty hair off my forehead, leaning over to kiss me gently one more time.

"I love you," I said. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. He looked at me with concern. "Happy tears," I told him.

"Let's get some sleep, baby," he said, kissing me again. "I love you too."

He pulled the blanket up over us and pulled me to him so we were lying tangled together. I sighed before drifting off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Still not mine**

**Epilogue**

**EPOV**

It had been a whirlwind month since we'd returned from Vegas. The first thing I did was call Jenks and fax over a copy of our marriage license. He, in turn, released my trust to me. My first order of business was to meet with Jake to give him his money. I ended up giving him not only the five thousand he'd invested but additional money as well because I had promised him if he invested I could double his money. I never back out of a deal if I can help it.

My father was pissed beyond belief when the wedding announcement was published in the paper, but I figured—fuck him. If he couldn't be happy for me then he didn't need to be in my life. If he came around later with an apology then we would go from there.

We purchased all the stuff we needed for the house, and when the gifts started piling in from well-wishers for our marriage, we donated them to women's shelters around the city. We donated any cash we received to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We felt that some good could come out of our union, and both were things that we supported.

I had somehow managed to convince Bella to work at the shop with me, at least part time. She would work reception and draw or paint while she was there. She'd finally set up a new date for her gallery show, and she would be showcasing the paintings she'd done of me and the one of our hands, though those wouldn't be for sale. I couldn't be more proud of her.

I hired a kid named Seth as a secondary artist and even brought in his sister Leah to do piercings. I couldn't wait until the shop was all mine. Not that I was ready to let go of Marcus yet. I loved him like a father, and he'd always treated me like a son. It wouldn't be easy to see him go.

**BPOV**

The night of my gallery show, I was a bucket of nerves. Edward stood with me the entire time, holding my hand and rubbing my knuckles soothingly. I was a little shocked at the turnout, to be honest. I guess my mother invited all of Phil's and her friends. She was proud as a peacock that night. I guess I could manage to do something right after all.

She gushed to anyone who would listen about how talented her daughter was, and the paintings were flying off the walls. There was interest in the pieces I'd done of Edward, but they weren't for sale. They would be going up in our house as soon as the show was over.

Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper had all gotten over the shock of us actually getting married. They even laughed along side us when we told them the truth about how the whole thing got started. We had dinner with them at least once a week.

The only dark spot in the whole thing was Edward's parents. They refused to talk to their son, saying that they didn't believe what we had was real, and we planned this to screw his father out of his son following in his footsteps. Edward had explained the noose tattoo to me. I cried when he told me that it represented his father and how he always felt dragged down as a kid, with no choices, only doing what his father wanted. How he had longed to break free, and how it felt when Marcus had done the tattoo and offered Edward a place there with him.

We were both saddened by Marcus leaving the shop. I could tell Edward really wanted him to stay on, but he said he was old and had done his time. It was time for him to pass the torch and travel the world.

I couldn't believe how great my life was now. I had a man I loved, a job I loved, and I still got to paint and draw. Life couldn't be any better. It was hard to believe that two strangers meeting at a wedding and cooking up a scheme could change each other's lives so much, but that's just what happened. As I smiled at Edward and linked my hand with his, our forearms touched, revealing the only gift we'd received that we kept—Marcus's gift—the tattoo on Edward's arm and mine that when placed together read: For Keeps.


End file.
